<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Memories of the Broken Hearted and Forgotten by BannedBookReader</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24696484">Memories of the Broken Hearted and Forgotten</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BannedBookReader/pseuds/BannedBookReader'>BannedBookReader</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Aquaman (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Childhood Memories, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Memories, Nightmares, Tula slowly learns to trust</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:08:27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24696484</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BannedBookReader/pseuds/BannedBookReader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tula is racked with nightmares and members of her team come to her aid. Even if she doesn't really want it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Memories of the Broken Hearted and Forgotten</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work was written at 4am and then edited at 4am the night night (day?) So *shrugs*. Anyway the world needs more Tula stories and why not dip my toe in with some hurt comfort. (Also you can't convince me she wouldn't be great friends with Raquel)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tula woke with a start, an unfamiliar hand resting on her shoulder. Under the thin, porous, skin on her neck she felt her gills flapping looking for water that wasn't there. Sweat covered blankets twisted in knots around her legs. Blood and death and pain all faded from the front of her mind. </p><p>"Tula, you need to breathe." M'gann's voice had an edge to it, but it didn't cut away the softness. Her green hand gently tightened its grip. </p><p>Carefully Tula opened her mouth and let the uncomfortable air slip in. Her lungs inflating, knocking away the very real pain of suffocation. As she breathed, her nightmares slipped away and she regained some of her normal composure. At last she was able to glance around the guest room in Mount Justice and winced. M'gann sat on the very edge of her bed, her nightgown a soft blue reminding Tula of home and her half sister. At the foot of her bed Zatanna gripped the footboard. She looked like she'd been awoken suddenly, and she probably had by Tula's screams. By the door stood Raquel and Artemis. Both in uniforms covered in dirt and blood, but neither seemed injured. Worry painted all four girl's faces  She should have shaken off her exhaustion and gone to the Lighthouse. </p><p>"I am sorry to have bothered you all." Tula's voice was soft and hoarse. Her eyes fell to her knees.</p><p>"Nonsense." Raquel said as she moved across the dark room. "Come on, let's get you something to drink." Gently her surprisingly soft hands tugged on Tula's arm. Tula wasn't in the mood to put up a fight and climbed out of the obnoxiously soft bed, and she thought Debbie's bed was bad. </p><p>Once on her feet M'gann offered her a robe to cover her bare chest. The Surface was so...prudish didn't feel like the word but her groggy mind couldn't find the proper one. </p><p>Raquel wrapped her arm around Tula's shoulders and started leading her out the room. </p><p>"Don't worry hun. Everything's gonna be okay."</p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>"Don't worry my daughter. Everything will be okay. I promise." The Queen rested her forehead on Tula's, her hands cupping the small child's face. Nothing was making sense. It was the middle of the night. Why was her mother in her room? Telling her crazy things?</p><p>"Mother. I don't understand. What's happening?" </p><p>"I don't have much time. I can't explain everything. But things will become clear in the future. And once your brother comes home all will be well in the kingdom."</p><p>"Orm is in his room?" Was her mother ill? That was a possibility. Tula reached for her head to check for a fever the way she'd seen Doctor Diade do many times. It earned her a soft chuckle. </p><p>"Not Orm my dear. And I'm not sick. Before Orm's father there was another. Your-"</p><p>"Your Highness." The guard standing at Tula's door had an ominous air about him. The shadows casted on his helmet hid his face, his sword rested in a blood red sheath marking him as one of the King's personal guards. "The King has requested your presence."</p><p>Her mother turned back to her and smiled a soft sad smile. "I love you Tula. I always will." Her lips pressed the last kiss she'd ever give her onto her forehead. </p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>Tula leaned into Raquel's body, letting the other girl do most of the work on the way to the kitchen. Between the mission, and the nightmares and the last memory of her mother Tula was officially out of energy. </p><p>"Are you okay?" Raquel asked.</p><p>"Tired." Not a complete lie. </p><p>"Let's get you some water then you can head back to bed." </p><p>She shook her head. Now that she was up and out of that room, that was the last thing that she wanted. She'd spent enough nights in dark unfamiliar rooms. Especially ones she'd painted with fear and trauma from her own sleeping mind. </p><p>A stool slid under her and she leaned heavily on the island. Someone was rubbing her back and a cool glass had been placed into her hand. </p><p>"Do you want to talk about it?" Zatanna almost whispered, but the cave was quiet enough that everyone heard. </p><p>"It was just a nightmare." Not <i>just</i>. Not really. But they didn't need to know that. </p><p>"Well lucky you. We know a thing or two about nightmares." Artemis spoke from her spot leaning against the counter. </p><p>"You're pale as a ghost." Raquel brushed a strand of hair away from Tula's face. </p><p>She let out a small "hmm" in response and let a glup of water slid down her throat. Tula winced again. Somehow she hadn't noticed with all her whispering that she'd screamed her throat raw. "My throat." </p><p>M'gann immediately set to work digging through what Kaldur called the First Aid Cabinet and Garth had dubbed the Idiot Cabinet. Gods she wished she were here with Kaldur or Garth or her sister or Koryak. Or anyone who already knew her pain. Who didn't want to talk about it because they'd lived a version of her pain too and talking about it meant they all suffered. </p><p>"We're your friends Tula. You can trust us." Zatanna tried again. </p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>"What? Don't you trust me sister?" Orm asked, a slick grin on his face. </p><p>Tula crossed her arms over her chest. Orm was the only family she had left, now that her mother was gone and her father turned out not to be her father. She <i>had</i> to trust him. Didn't she?</p><p>"I trust you Orm." The ten year old began. "I just don't think we should go to the Cave. Mother said it was dangerous-"</p><p>"Mother is a traitor and liar." She flinched at the anger in his voice. "Besides. Have I ever lied to you?" Plenty of times, but now didn't seem like the time to enrage the teenager. Almost adult really. </p><p>"I...." Tula trailed off. "I suppose it's important to understand what's on the outskirts of our kingdom..."</p><p>"Precisely." </p><p>Tula still had scars running up her legs from that little adventure. She never did find out if Orm knew about the the curse before suggesting the adventure. But she suspected. </p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>"Trust is earned." The words slipped out of her sleep deprived mouth before she could stop them. Raquel pulled her hand back and the others faces ranged from angry to confused to betrayed.</p><p>"We're your Team." M'gann sounded devastated and gently set a bag of cough drops in front of Tula. </p><p>"And I trust you with my life." She had to save this. Sure she'd only joined the Team to try and keep Kaldur out of trouble and alive, but there was no point in driving a rift with them. </p><p>"Just not your nightmares." Artemis deadpanned.</p><p>"And you trust me with yours?" The words where harsh and hard. </p><p>For a moment no one said anything. </p><p>Then Zatanna spoke. </p><p>"My last nightmare was about my dad. Most are anymore. But..." She swallowed. "This time my mom was there too. They were both just out of reach. Not just from me but each other. And nothing I did-" Tears ran down her face and Tula suddenly felt very nauseous. She didn't want to know their pain. That's not what she wanted at all. </p><p>It's not that she didn't care. But in Atlantis when friends came and went the hard way...she'd learned to keep people at a distance. Garth and Kaldur the rare exceptions. Even their closest friends, even her own sister, didn't have the keys to her heart they way the two boys did. </p><p>A beat. And then;</p><p>"I was back on Mars," M'gann started, not looking at anyone but rubbing Zatanna's back. "Me and my brother...we were surrounded by Greens and Reds. They were throwing rocks at us and I couldn't keep us safe." </p><p>That was a fear Tula knew too well. She hoped the other girls would leave it at that, but instead;</p><p>Raquel and Artemis exchanged looks before they both shifted uncomfortably. </p><p>"I don't want to go into details," Raquel ran a shaky hand through her short hair. "But. Icon and the Team...they, you all, were all dead...and it was my fault. My powers weren't strong enough." She shrugged like she could knock the memory of the cruel dream away. </p><p>"I guess it's my turn." Artemis muttered and Tula really wanted this would stop. "I was in my bedroom. And my dad was mad. So like. Pick a moment from my childhood. And Jade was there. And she got between me and my dad...and he killed her." </p><p>Another long pause. Tula really, really, wished they hadn't done that. Tears stung her eyes and she was glad no one was looking at her right now. </p><p>"So yes." M'gann whispered. "We do trust you." </p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>"They trusted me." Tula sank to her knees. The New Town Bar, aptly located in the oldest part of of Posidens, flashed with blasts of magic and gun alike. </p><p>Mupo crossed his arms next her. "It's not your fault." But she knew he didn't believe that. The young leader of the rebels eyed her with skepticism. </p><p>"They trusted me." Was all she could get out. 12 years old and already she had blood on her hands. The blood of her friends. </p><p>Mupo signed. "Princess-"</p><p>"Orm promised." </p><p>"You told your brother? Why would you do that?" He was doing a surprisingly decent job at hiding his anger, but still it leaked in. Fury behind his brown eyes terrified Tula who had only ever seen them as calm and kind. </p><p>"He said he wanted to help." </p><p>"And you believed him?" </p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>"Why do you trust me? Because I'm friends with Kaldur?" </p><p>"Because you're our <i>friend</i>." Raquel grabbed the hand not wrapped around her glass. "And we want to help you. Because we've seen the way you hurt and no one deserves that. We aren't blind." </p><p>Tula pulled away. "And what about Kaldur?" </p><p>"What about him?"</p><p>"What about the way <i>he</i> hurts." She and Garth hadn't joined the Team for no reason after all. They could only stand so many stories of his treatment. A treatment he didn't seem to mind and his Team didn't seem to notice. </p><p>Raquel frowned again. "I love Kaldur. I would do anything for him. But right now this is about you. And that's okay." As she spoke her voice softened. Tula didn't resist when Raquel returned her hand to its spot on top of Tula's. The way she said she loved Kaldur...Tula believed her. </p><p>"It's okay Tula." Zatanna spoke again. Her voice still soft and quiet like Tula was a scared kid or something. And maybe she was. "Just talk to us." </p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>"Talk to me Tula!" Debbie was coming close to yelling. </p><p>"Go away!" </p><p>"I won't!" Debbie griped Tula's doorframe with all her strength. Not letting her sister's magic push her out of the room. The blue skinned girl had her lips pursed and frustration in her eyes. </p><p>Tula glared at her half sister. Born of the same father. "Deborah." </p><p>"What?" It was a challenge. All the energy Tula had left drained from her. She hurt in more ways than one. Black Manta's attack had rocked the city. And worse Kaldur's confession...</p><p>"I...," She struggled to start. Debbie was like a bull shark and not likely to drop this. So she forced herself to continue.  " I...broke Kaldur's heart..." Her voice cracked as she let go of the control she struggled so much to hold on to. </p><p>Debbie let her arms drop and pulled her into a hug. "Sometimes taking care of yourself hurts others." Her voice was even, her words prepared. Debbie had already known. </p><p>Tula didn't return the hug. She just let her arms hang limply at her sides. "I never wanted to hurt him...I just..." <i>Love Garth</i> were the words she let die on her lips. Of course she loved Kaldur too, but not like that. Not the way she loved her purple eyed dork. </p><p>"It's okay Tula. Thank you for telling me." Debbie pulled out of the hug and gently cuped Tula's face the way her mother had so many years ago. "It's okay to open up."</p><p>○●○●○●○●○●○●○●</p><p>Her sister's words hooked into her exhausted brain. Tula let out a sigh. The memory of the nightmare flashing through her mind. She opened her mouth to speak, at last, to trust. And instead a sob slipped out. Loud and harsh. It tore at her raw throat and shook her sore shoulders. </p><p>Then four bodies where pressed against hers. A mess of arms tangled together. Someone whispered soft reassurances in her ear. Someone else rubbed her elbow while yet another person rubbed her back. An ankle twisted against hers in comfort. She didn't know how long she cried. But when she stopped, she let them hang on a little longer. </p><p>"Thank you." She muttered. </p><p>"Of course dumbass." Artemis responded.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments make the world go round</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>